Ward 3 Candidate Nevenka Bareham will protect local shopping strips.

The Greens’ candidate for the Ward 3 by-election has vowed she will fight to protect local shopping strips from the detrimental effects of shopping centres.

“Our shopping strips are the hearts of our community. This is where we support local business, we chat with our neighbours and we create the sense of a village with an atmosphere that is unique to that place” said Ms Bareham.

The National ‘Too Big To Ignore’ campaign states on its website that there are 2 million small businesses in Australia employing 7 million Australians which comprises 60% of our workforce. Nothing threatens our local businesses more than a new shopping centre, or supermarket opening up.

“Every time a business closes on our streets, it’s one less reason for local shoppers to visit that strip. The knock on effect for surrounding businesses is huge” she said.

“Shopping centres are much more likely to be filled with shops that are outlets for multinational companies. Most of the profits are going overseas and shoppers are more likely to drive there from further afield which dilutes the feeling of a true community centre. These places are generic shopping experiences, there’s no local culture there at all” said Ms Bareham.

“Gone will be the days of just walking down the street to get the paper and some groceries if we are not careful. We have already lost most of our corner shops to the big centres and their longer trading hours.”

“If I am elected to council on the 21st of February, I’m going to do everything I can to stop the slide towards the loss of another community meeting place for locals and creation of deserted, ghost town shopping strips.”